Friday, 22 June 2012

This is a bit of a 'quirky' entry for this week's Sunday Stampers challenge from Hels. With a 'male' theme (for Father's Day) I decided to try a technique we used at Sunday's 'Birds in the Barn' workshop with Linda Elbourne.

I started by inking up a square piece of paper with peeled paint Distress Stain & allowed to dry. I have to say that it looked a mess but carried on regardless!! Using a 'Special Touch of Mica' small polka dot mask I inked through it with walnut stain then randomly stamped a PaperArtsy script stamp in Adirondack denim. I stamped some PaperArtsy cogs in gold paint dabber & a 7gypsies clock in brown ink & ruler in black ink. The birds (PaperArtsy) were stamped once on the card then again onto white card, inked with antique linen then cut out & placed on top of the original stamp with pinflair glue for dimension. I added some gold metallic ink to the four corners of the card & Adirondack Dimensional Pearls in Espresso to the cog centres & the crowns. Instead of stamping a sentiment (as the card is quite wacky/steam punk) I added a 'We R Memory Keepers' metal embellishment which says 'Imagine, Create, Dream'. Happy Crafting everyone...Sx

Saturday, 16 June 2012

Pink, not a colour I use very often but it's good to get our of your comfort zone once in a while! This was Hels Sheridan's challenge for week 209 of the wonderful 'Sunday Stampers'-check out her blog here, always inspirational. Anyway this turned out to be another busy, busy week with me not even turning on my beloved computer for days! Think this year is on double speed. Thought I wouldn't make this challenge because of the lack of time and the fact that I was feeling out of sorts this week as it was 10 years since I lost my father. 10 years ... certainly don't know where that time has gone but it has been missing a wonderful man. Love you Dad.

Anyway, back to the card-I managed this very quick card made out of scraps. I have this huge box of scraps where the lid hardly fits on now so decided that I must start using up these bits. I can't throw anything away! I had been using this lovely stamp (Imagination Crafts) in the week & when I went to clean it up I grabbed a scrap of card to remove some of the wet ink. When I went to chuck it away I couldn't! How daft is that? It is very, very rough & not at all like the perfect version but I actually liked it so simply cut it out, distressed the edges with worn lipstick & mounted onto an odd piece of black card. I found this lonely piece of wood textured card (luckily pale pink) & edged in walnut stain & mounted onto a white card. I cut a banner shape out of a pink patterned paper & stamped the butterfly (Creative Expressions) onto the same pink paper & spritzed them both with a combination of Perfect Pearls Biscotti & Pink Gumball. I have been using the powdered Perfect Pearls so that I can mix them up & use more than one at a time. Next I edged the banner with walnut stain & added a gold staple (mistake, I though it was going to be silver) from a long forgotton EK Success craft stapler (Fastenater). I stamped it with a sweet, old wooden stamp (no name on it). Lastly I found this lovely brass key & added it to the butterfly. I feel I should apologise for this simple, scrap card but I do quite like it! I must do my blog hopping now to see what has been made this week. I think I need a holiday - oh, I've just had one!! Just more time then ... Sx

Tuesday, 5 June 2012

For the Jubilee weekend Hels Sheridan has chosen the theme of Red, White & Blue. Had to think about this a bit as I did a 'Jubilee' tag a few weeks ago.

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For this card I began by scanning a copy of an original newspaper article of the Coronation. I cut out a 5.5" section & spritzed with Perfect Pearls Biscotti to give the paper a bit of a sheen, inked the edges with walnut stain DI then mounted onto black card. You can't see much of the article unfortunately. I then cut out 3 1.5" strips of white card, covered with TH calendar tissue tape & inked with barn door & chipped sapphire DI & picket fence distress stain. I tore the ends & stitched onto the strips with red, white & blue thread. I inked up some plain white card with the same DI's on both sides, spritzed with Biscotti then cut out a Spellbinders flower die & curled the card to make the flower. Next I stamped the word 'Celebrate' in Momento Paris Dusk & cut out into the banner shape. I edged this with barn door & chipped sapphire & spritzed with the Biscotti. I placed the flower on the right side & mounted the word banner onto foam & placed beside the flower. I stamped the three crowns with the Paris Dusk & also spritzed with Biscotti, added some gems then mounted onto the white strip with Pinflair gel to give dimention. Lastly I attached two gem hat pins behind the flower.

What a great weekend of celebrations this has been. Yesterday I sang in a Choir (our first performance)for the celebrations at Frinton & then in the evening we had a big party on the green here with a band, lots of dancing & a bit of drinking. It was a great day. I hope you have all had a fun time, even with the rain! Sx

Sunday, 3 June 2012

I think the only problem with doing the '12 Tags of 2012' is that it highlights how quickly the year is whizzing past! It's June already-cannot believe it. Anyway back to the tag. I just thought 'wow' when I saw Tim's new tag & it incorporates a photo so just up my street. I just love old photos which is probably why I have such a huge collection at home. It's going to take me years to catalogue them all but that's fine - I just love it.

I followed most of Tim's instructions but as usual made a few alterations as I didn't have all of his goodies. I'll just mention them. I moved the tissue tape from top right to top left. Found an old paper clip embellishment & added a 'C' for Clive. I didn't want a flower so made a rosette out of scrap paper & added a We Are Memory Keepers 'smile' embellishment which I thought looked quite 'vintage' photo. Would you believe, no silver paper clips in the house so I used a white one & added a diamond gem to the top. The rubber stamps I used were TH Visual Artistry 'The Journey' & 'Lost and Found' (thank you Mary for lending me this one!). I had some old metal numbers so coloured the '5' in Snow Cap & the 'Adorable' was an old one I found in my box. I think that covers the differences. The photo is my husband Clive (hence the letter 'C') taken in the garden where we live when he was about 5 years old (hence the '5'). I just loved colouring this photo. He told me that he was sooo happy with this dressing up kit. He looks so cute & he reminds me of the 'Milky Bar Kid'!! The metallic star embellishment also reminds me of a 'Sherrifs' badge - what a coincidence! Sx